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Sri Vidya is a Shakta sect which believes that the goddess Lalita Tripurasundari is supreme. Now the Varivasya Rahasya is a work by the 18th-century Sri Vidya philosopher Bhaskararaya explaining the meaning of the Panchadasi mantra, the core mantra of the Sri Vidya sect described in this web page. In this excerpt from the Varivasya Rahasya, Bhaskararaya explains the significance of certain sounds in the Panchadasi mantra by quoting the following verse from a Shakta Agama called the Yogini Hridaya:

Rudra, Ishvara, and Sadashiva are indicated by the three Bindus. Shanti, Shakti and Shambhu are signified by the three Nadas.

Now as I discuss in this question, in the worldview of the Shaiva Agamas, the hierarchy of gods from lowest to highest is Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheshwara, and Sadashiva. So I assume the "Rudra, Ishvara, and Sadashiva" part is a reference to the last three names on that list.

But my question is, what form of Shiva is being referred to by the name "Shambhu"? Does the worldview of the Shakta Agamas add an additional being named Shambhu to the five gods delineated in the Shaiva Agamas?

Does anyone know if the Yogini Hridaya has more information on Shambhu? I don't have an English translation of the Yogini Hridaya, but here is a Hindi translation.

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Keshav Srinivasan
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  • I think Shambhu is Maha Shambhu mentioned in Brahmanda Purana. Ishvara = Maheshwara = Maha Shambhu. See my question here. – Pinakin Sep 05 '16 at 16:22
  • Shambhu is Lalita Devi's consort Kameshvara. So I presume he would be equated to Sadashiva. – Surya Sep 05 '16 at 16:24
  • @ChinmaySarupria Thanks, the quotes in your question answer my question. But as far as I can tell, your quotes are not actually from the Brahmanda Purana. So if you can post an answer giving the actual Brahmanda Purana quote about Mahashambhu, I'd appreciate it. – Keshav Srinivasan Sep 05 '16 at 18:02
  • The answer by Rickross contains quotes from Brahmanda Purana. – Pinakin Sep 06 '16 at 13:04
  • @ChinmaySarupria Rickross is just quoting an abridged summary of the Brahmanda Purana. Here's an actual translation of the Brahmanda Purana: http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/6751/36 Let me see if I can find the Mahashambhu reference in the Lalita Mahatmya of the Brahmanda Purana. – Keshav Srinivasan Sep 06 '16 at 14:28
  • @Keshav Mahashambhu does appear in the Lalita Mahatmya but he is not explicitly named as Sadashiva. – Surya Sep 06 '16 at 17:52
  • @Surya Well, I don't care about that, I just want a quote from the Lalita Mahatamya that describe the emergence of Shambhu and Shakti, as the quotes in Chinmaya's question describe. – Keshav Srinivasan Sep 06 '16 at 17:56
  • Acording to the bramhanada puran maha shambu is non other than lord shiva shiva acts as layakaraka to this world when the god go's to yoga samadi he will in the form of nirakaram he spread to whole vishwam the god was in triguna ,nirakara and he was totaly diffrent (ateta) from srusti and world so they called him maha shambu actuly in puranam the god shiva and parvati was in yoga samadi when bandasura creating distruction to the world so all the gods and maha vishnu as no option to do maha yagam to call shiva maha sambhu to ask him solution to kill bandasur the – Prabhu Kanth Aug 27 '18 at 08:23

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